Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Scottish Government
Area 3A South, Victoria Quay
Edinburgh
EH6 6QQ
Telephone
+44 1412240990
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKM - Scotland
Internet address(es)
Main address
Buyer's address
https://www.publiccontractsscotland.gov.uk/search/Search_AuthProfile.aspx?ID=AA10482
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
Digital Support Services for the Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 72267100 - Maintenance of information technology software
two.1.3) Type of contract
Services
two.1.4) Short description
The primary requirement is to put in place a contract for a Service Provider to work in partnership, primarily with the Purchaser, to ensure that reliable, secure and up to date services continue to be delivered. The Service Provider will support existing services as well as any new services that come into the production environment during the life of this contract. The contract will focus on the support, maintenance, upgrading and enhancement of current services. Any major new service designs and developments are likely to be subject to separate contractual arrangements, but this contract will have scope for some new development work should that be the practical and cost-effective approach.
This contract must allow flexibility for the Purchaser to access the right resources, with the right skills, at the right time. The intention at the outset is the Service Provider will be required to provide scalable access to resources by supplementing in-house staff and other specialist services predominantly in blended teams to ensure efficient and effective system maintenance, support, enhancement and modernisation activities. Work will be led by the Purchaser joined by Service Provider staff working in blended teams.
The Purchaser has found that working in blended teams in recent years has been successful and wishes to retain this practice as its underpinning model and continue to drive flexibility and efficiencies in its ways of working. The Service Provider will likely be required to deliver some end-to-end projects during the life of the contract, working to Scottish Government agreed standards and practices. The Service Provider will be required to provide resources and services that have the capability, flexibility and responsiveness required. The ability to scale up, scale down and potentially swap out based on emerging requirements and technology is vital.
Section six. Complementary information
six.6) Original notice reference
Notice number: 2024/S 000-010511
Section seven. Changes
seven.1) Information to be changed or added
seven.1.2) Text to be corrected in the original notice
Section number
IV.2.2
Place of text to be modified
Time limit
Instead of
Date
3 May 2024
Local time
12:00pm
Read
Date
8 May 2024
Local time
12:00pm
seven.2) Other additional information
To allow suppliers sufficient time to consider all of the answers provided in Circular Advice Note 1, we have opted to extend the SPD deadline to Wednesday 8th May at 12pm.